for atmosphere:

Donna The Primma Donna (Italian Version)
The Heart Of Saturday Night (Yes, the Tom Waits song. Waits is reported to love this version.)
The Wanderer

Also, Dion (and rock critic Dave Marsh) helped me score once. In college, I had a crush on this psyche major, who was also a fellow rabid rock and roll fan, from Flushing. I had recently purchased Marsh's The Heart Of Rock And Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. "The Wanderer," was in there of course, at 112.

Anyway, she was taking Human Sexuality 101, and for her final project, she could do either a sex survey or write a paper. She decided to write a paper on Sexuality in Popular Music. She saw my copy of the book and invited me to hang out with her in Flushing to toss ideas around. The long ride out on the subway train, we read the book and picked out songs to mention. "The Wanderer," had to be included as an example of sexual braggadocio, we agreed. When I got to her house, I made a move, we made out and started dating.

We were together for 3 months. Nit long, but intense. She was my first serious girlfriend, and her mom passed away of pancreatic cancer while we were together. I sat shiva with her (she was Jewish). We split and she later married my college buddy Quaz, a super-genius Filipino kid from Jersey. All three of us still write and talk occasionally.

Years later when I worked in a bookstore, Dave Marsh came in shopping. I recognized him, we got to talking and I set up a signing for him. He had always been a huge influence on my music writing, and he was a nice guy, too. Later on, at another bookstore, Marsh's buddy Southside Johnny's ex-wife was one of the managers. Small world.

I listen to Southside Johnny every Thursday at two in the afternoon.

*taps foot*

you wouldn't happen to have an mp3 of "I Don't Want To Go Home," do ya? I'm listening to my vinyl of it as I type but a digital one would make me eternally grateful.

I have it on CD, but it's in MD. I'm going there for TG, so I can burn you a copy in late Nov or early Dec.

As a bonus:

Do You Remember Rock n Roll Radio - Kiss

Yes, Kiss covering the Ramones. It's from a tribute album. But, along with the Dictators cover of "I Just Wan't To have Something To Do," from the same record, this one makes the most sense. Gene, Paul, Ace, & Peter came up around the same time as the bro's and two of them grew up in the same NYC borough. They also can honestly remember Murray the K, Upbeat, Shindig and Ed Sullivan, too, like the lyrics say. And FWIW, those lyrics ring true now more than ever.